Exclusive | YRF Drops Cinematographer Pratik Shah’s Name from Credits on ‘Akka’ Series Following Misconduct Allegations

YRF Entertainment has officially confirmed it will strip cinematographer Pratik Shah of his credit on the upcoming series Akka. Shah, who was accused of inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct by multiple women last June, recently returned to Mumbai to shoot patchwork footage for the series.

The show, which stars Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Apte, and Tanvi Azmi, is backed by YRF Entertainment, the streaming division of Yash Raj Films.

The studio issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter India confirming that his name will be entirely scrubbed from the final project.

A YRF spokesperson said, “Pratik Shah, the cinematographer of Akka, has been associated with the project since the start of production and has completed all remaining obligations in line with his contractual commitments. During this period, neither the production nor our internal POSH committee received any complaints against him from members of the cast or crew. However, in light of the controversy surrounding him, it is decided that he will not be credited in Akka.”

Over the last seven days, THR India spoke to several crew members on the condition of anonymity, all of whom expressed varying degrees of discomfort and frustration over the initial decision to bring Shah back to the workspace.

A member present on the Mumbai set questioned the timeline of his re-entry into the industry. “One understands the argument of rehabilitation as well, but is taking therapy and resuming work within a year — after all that has transpired — good enough?”

The serious allegations against Shah first came to light last year when filmmaker Abhinav Singh publicly accused him of being “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive,” drawing on the personal testimonies of multiple women.

Following the backlash, a previous THR India report detailed how Shah was subsequently dropped from the high-profile biopic of former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, which is currently in production.

THR India had previously reported how Shah was also under the scanner five years ago when a young cinematographer had reached out to a senior member of the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) and complained against him after he solicited a nude picture. He had then apologised, a source close to the IWCC confirmed.